Mary Shelleys Frankenstein: character analysis

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The Man and the Monster in Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one of the most distinguished novels in world literature . This literary piece is famous the world over as the story about Victor Frankenstein , a man who played god and brought to life a hideous creature . Because of the creature 's loathsome appearance , Victor shunned him . This eventually resulted in violence and death . From the onset , the line that differentiates Victor and the monster has been clear : the former

is man , while the latter is beast However , upon thorough analysis , one would find that the creator and the created have more similarities and differences than one would expect This essay seeks to analyze the characters of Victor Frankenstein and the monster by comparing and contrasting their qualities

There are some differences between Victor Frankenstein and the monster that are obvious to the reader , and have been prominent from the beginning . It is the similarities between the two that could only be determined through closer inspection . One of the similarities between Victor and the monster is the fact that both are emotionally dised (Brown 148 . However , the way their emotions are dised sets them apart

Victor has had a blessed life . He came from a wealthy family , which opened up many opportunities for him . He previously studied in Geneva but upon his father 's insistence he attended a university in Ingolstadt (Shelley 45 . At a young age , his education in Geneva had exposed him to the wonders of science , something he did not learn from his father Victor wrote , Under the guidance of my new preceptors I entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher 's stone and the elixir of life but the latter soon obtained my undivided attention (Shelley 41 . It was his preoccupation with the elixir of life which resulted in his creation of the monster . With science as his tool , Victor set out on his endeavor . Prior to his act of creation , he was already aware of the possible consequences . Science can be perceived in two ways . While it may prove beneficial , it can also be extremely dangerous (Storment . Victor knew this , but he still decided to cross that line . He states , When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands , I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it (Shelley 62 . This hesitation meant that he understood the consequences that may arise . Despite this , he still decided to proceed with the endeavor . Victor 's awareness of the outcome of his actions and his contrary decisions are proof of his emotionally dis

The same condition holds true for the monster . In the beginning , the monster held humanity in high esteem (Davidson . He has no intention of harming or frightening people with his presence . He did not have ill feelings towards humans until Victor rejected him . The monster inquires , Shall I respect man when he condemns me (Shelley...